Collapsible rack



July 7, 1959 E. R. SCH-0L2 2,893,568

COLLAPISIBLE. RACK Filed March 5, 1956 [DAV/N e. sci/04a INVENTOR.

Y 7Z7MKM Uflitedswt s Pa 2,893,568 j coLLAr smLE RACK Y EdwinR. Schulz, Los Angeles, Calif. Application March 5, 1956, Serial No. 569,633 3 Claims. (Cl. z11-17s This invention relates. to a collapsible rack which is particularly adapted for use as a garment rack for the display of garments for sale, although it is, of course, similarly useful such as in dry cleaning plants and garment factories or the like. i

The retail garment trade has long searched for a collapsible garment rack for the display of goods for sale which can readily be set up and collapsed and which at the same time provides a neat looking and suificiently s sturdy construction to support the weight of a number of garments thereon.

It is an object of the invention to provide a collapsible rack which in general includes an upright frame and ,inormally transversely disposed base members which will lfirmly support the frame and articles carried thereby, and "wherein the transverse base members can be collapsed or swung into general alignment with the vertical frame so that the collapsed racks take up a minimum of space tluring shipment and storage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure of the class described wherein the collapsible base members are properly retained in their set up and collapsed positions by means of a minimum of moving parts which can be manipulated by persons having a minimum of mechanical knowledge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible rack including base members shiftable from a set up to a collapsed position, in combination with means for releasably securing the base members, particularly in their set up position, wherein the securing means also serves to brace and reinforce the movable connection between the base members and the rack body.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawmg.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention with one base member in set up position and the other base member in collapsed position.

Fig. 2 is a section taken approximately on line 22 of Fig. 1, on a somewhat enlarged scale and with a portion of the upright removed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower end portion of the frame and a part of one of the base members in collapsed position.

The rack includes a frame 6 which includes a pair of uprights 8 whose upper ends are bridged by a horizontal bar 10. The frame 6 is supported by base members 12 which are adapted to swing to either of the positions shown in Fig. l and be held therein by base locking members 14.

Each upright 8 extends downwardly through its respective base locking member 14 and through the base member 12. Beneath the center of each base member 12 is a socket 16 which may be welded to the underside 2,893,568 Patented July 7, 1959 of the base member and is adapted to receive the lower end of an upright 8. If desired the upright can be secured in the socket 16 by means of a bolt 18 which extends upwardly through the bottom of the socket and is threaded into a plug 20 welded in the lower end of the upright 8. The bolt is not tightened and forthat reason the base member 12 with its socket 16 is free to swing about the lower end of the upright 8.

The two base locking members 14 are connected by a brace 22 which may be welded to the facing vertical sides or webs of the base locking members.

Each base locking member 14 is of inverted U-shaped channel formation and as shown includes vertical webs 24 and 26 and an upper horizontal connecting web 28. It will be seen that the outermost webs 24 are approximately the height of the base members 12. The webs 26 extend downwardly considerably further than Iwebs 24 and are provided with notches 30 which areof a width to rather closely fit the sides of the base members 12 when said members are swung at the left of Fig. 1 and also as in Fig. 4.

The base locking members 14 are freely slidable vertically on the uprights 8 and both base locking members can be raised by lifting at the center of the brace 22 or each base locking member 14 and the adjacent end of brace 22 can be raised upwardly relative to the upright 3 without raising the other base locking member at the opposite end of the brace 22. This is a feature of convenience since one person can lift an end of the brace 22 by raising his foot beneath the brace sufliciently to lift the channel-shaped base locking member 14 above the transverse base member 12 to permit swinging of said base member from its transverse position to its collapsed position in general alignment with the vertical plane of the frame 6.

It should be noted that the base locking members 14 are elongated tranversely of the plane of the frame 6 so that a considerable amount of bracing is imparted to the base member 12 when the latter is in its transverse position relative to the frame. Furthermore, the vertical side webs 24 and 26 of the base locking members 14 closely fit the base member 12 so that the frame 6 is held with a considerable degree of rigidity and strength.

Casters 32 of conventional type are secured to the ends of the base members 12 and they include nutted bolts 34 which extend upwardly through the ends of the base members. The distance between the underside of the brace 22 and the top of the notch 30 is such that, when the base members are collapsed, the nutted bolts 34 will clear beneath the brace 22.

The rack, when collapsed, provides a very compact structure for storage and shipment and while the base locking members 14 remain transverse to the vertical plane of the frame 6 at all times, they are of insufiicient length to create any stacking problem. Furthermore, a rack of considerable length can be set up and collapsed by one person with considerable ease and since the rack is composed mainly of light weight tubular material, it is not at all difficult for one person to handle it con- Veniently.

It should be understood that various changes can be made in the form, arrangement, details and proportions of the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible rack including a substantially vertical frame, base members pivotally secured to lower portions of said frame and swingable in a horizontal plane from one position in general alignment with a vertical plane longitudinally through the vertical frame to a second position transversely of said vertical plane, and base locktheir two positions, the base locking members being elongated transversely of the frame and having portions releasablyfen g aging the top and sides of the base memheirs substantially through the lengths of the base locking members when the base members are in position transverselyof said frame.

2." A eo 1lapsible rack including a substantially vertical frame, base members pivotally secured to lower portions ofsaid frame and swingable in a horizontal plane from one position in genera'l alignment with a vertical plan e longitudinally through the vertical frame to a second position transversely of said vertical plane, base loclging members movable vertically on said frame and into and out of engagement with said base members to releasably secure the" base members in their two positions, each base locking member including a channel element having vertical side webs and an upper horizontal connecting web, the base members fitting in said channel elements in the" transverse position of the base members, and at least one of said vertical side webs having a notch therein to receive one of the transverse base members was? th ba m mbe is nn n r Y Q l nm the verticallongitudinal plane of the frame.

3. A collapsible rack including a substantially vertical frame having spaced uprights, a base member pivotally secured to a lower portion of each ofsaid uprights and swingable in a horizontal plane from one position in general alignment with a vertical plane longitudinally through the vertical frame, to a second position transversely of said vertical plane, a base locking member at the lower end of each upright and freely movable vertically relative to said uprights, means for maintaining each of said base loclging members against rotation about the axes of said uprights, each-base locking member having a PQ I en a e le with a pqr iq ol its p tive base member to releasably lock said base members against swinging movement in a horizontal plane from their positions transversely of and in alignment with said vertical plane, the base locking members being held in locking position solely by gravity.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS We. I 

